FYI:

FYI ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/UWJODIOuxw— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 24, 2022

Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana raised funds for his youth hockey team in Prague recently, and iSPort.cz’s Zdenek Janda spoke with Vrana regarding the upcoming NHL season in Detroit:

Vrana about returning to Letnany and the Czech group in Detroit: “We have potential”

He returned to the place where he grew up playing hockey, and sometimes even slept near the ice. Forward Jakub Vrana (26), winner of a Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018, played an exhibition game with Prague’s HC Letci team over the weekend as part of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the team. “Wonderful, I’ve never seen it so full here,” said the sniper from Detroit. After the game, he talked about the Red Wings and memories of his bronze medal In Tampere [Finland].

It was an emotional moment for him. In the place where he learned the secrets of hockey as a small boy, now the fans applauded him. As well as other members of the Letnany-based team, the challenging selection of All-Stars were led by Jakub Voracek and David Pastrnak this past Saturday. “We enjoyed it very much. I’m very happy with how many people came,” explained Jakub Vrana.

Former Red Wings forward Marty Pavelich retired to Big Sky, Montana 30 years ago, and “Explore Big Sky’s” Gabrielle Gasser reports that the community is going to build a rink named aver Pavelich:

Every Sunday for 10 years, Marty Pavelich, four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings, would attend church, eat breakfast and go skating at the ice rink in Big Sky’s Town Center. Pavelich, now 94, hung up his skates for good in 2020, but two local organizations are working to ensure his legacy lives on in perpetuity.

Big Sky Community Organization and the Big Sky Skating and Hockey Association are partnering on a campaign to raise $600,000 for the development of a permanent ice rink, one they’ll name after Pavelich. The rink, which found its permanent home as part of the BASE community center campus in 2021, has long been a gathering place for Big Sky residents during the dark winter months, offering opportunities after chairlifts stop spinning to skate, curl or play hockey.

The campaign started in July and the goal is to raise the funds as fast as possible to hold a ribbon cutting with Pavelich in attendance. Funds raised by the campaign will cover half of the cost to build the permanent rink, establish a rink maintenance fund and purchase more youth hockey gear among other things.

“We want Marty to see the appreciation that the community has for not only his Red Wings history and being a local but all he did to build the program, to build the rink, to get this group of people together in 2010 and to have him see the community’s support and appreciation,” said Kate Ketschek, BSCO board chair.

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The Red Wings’ players who are already in town took part in the Ilitch Charities for Children Golf Outing today, and here’s a Twiter clip thereof from Red Wings TV:

It’s all in the hips. ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/HIonj7MhSx

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 23, 2022

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen spoke with several NHL analysts regarding the possibility of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider contending for a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman at some point in the future:

“I think Seider will have a place in the Norris conversation in 2022-23, and I think it’s entirely possible that he’ll win one or more as his career progresses,” said Hall of Fame hockey writer Dave Molinari, another long-time voter. “But in the short term, I believe the field of elite defensemen is simply too crowded to make him anything more than a long shot.”

NHL Network analyst Stu Grimson, a former Red Wings’ player, has a similar perspective. He has said on the air that Seider should win a Norris at some point in his career.

“(But) is he capable of a Norris next year?,” Grimson said. “I’d say likely not.”

Grimson sees two issues for Seider: Developmental trajectory and timing.

“Bigger bodies take longer to develop,” Grimson said. “Yes, Fox and Makar inserted themselves into Norris discussion very early in their careers. However, these are guys that compete with more modest sized frames and they tend to be somewhat more agile. And that agility translates to point per game seasons for them very early in their careers. Not to mention these guys are making 20 goals from the blueline look routine. I believe Seider can be that caliber of player. It may take him another couple years or so to get there. He’s not the same threat to score as the elite guys yet. But he could be in time.”

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Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson will take part in the NHLPA’s “Rookie Showcase” in Washington, D.C. this September, per a press release from the NHLPA:

TORONTO (Aug. 23, 2022) The National Hockey League Players’ Association will host its 12th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase Tuesday, Sept. 6 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., with more than 30 NHL® prospects and rookies scheduled to attend. This unique event provides Upper Deck the official trading card partner of the NHLPA and the NHL with an opportunity to capture photographs and videos of many of the game’s top young prospects and rookies in their official NHL team uniforms. The content collected will be used for upcoming Upper Deck trading cards and related promotional materials.

2022 NHLPA Rookie Showcase Scheduled Attendees:

The following NHL prospects and rookies are scheduled to be in attendance for the 2022 NHLPA Rookie Showcase:

Yaroslav Askarov (Predators), Matty Beniers (Kraken), Matt Boldy (Wild), Thomas Bordeleau (Sharks), Mavrik Bourque (Stars), Brendan Brisson (Golden Knights), Brandt Clarke (Kings), Graeme Clarke (Devils), Lukas Dostal (Ducks), Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings), Samuel Fagemo (Kings), Dylan Holloway (Oilers), Hendrix Lapierre (Capitals), Fabian Lysell (Bruins), Matias Maccelli (Coyotes), Jacob Perreault (Ducks), Sam Poulin (Penguins), Owen Power (Sabres), Jack Quinn (Sabres), Aatu Raty (Islanders), Lukas Reichel (Blackhawks), Marco Rossi (Wild), Braden Schneider (Rangers), Jake Sanderson (Senators), Juraj Slafkovsky (Canadiens), Ryan Suzuki (Hurricanes), Shane Wright (Kraken) and Connor Zary (Flames).
*Please note the player list is subject to change.

NHL.com’s Dave Hogg spoke with Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson regarding his experiences at the Red Wings’ summer development camp, as well as his expectations for the upcoming season:

Simon Edvinsson didn’t get the full benefit of this summer’s development camp with the Detroit Red Wings but the defenseman prospect said he thinks he learned what he needed to. Edvinsson’s arrival in Detroit was delayed by travel issues, meaning most of his ice time came in the 3-on-3 tournament on the final day.

“It was just awesome to get here after all the struggles with the planes and everything,” Edvinsson said. “Today was about getting to know everyone, and I’m going to be staying in town for the next three weeks to work with a lot of these guys.”

Edvinsson spent his time in Detroit getting ready for the World Junior Championship, where he scored two points (one goal, one assist) and helped Sweden finish third. Now he’s taking a short break before the Red Wings hold prospect camp and their full training camp.

“I want to be in the lineup on the first day of the season,” Edvinsson said. “I know I’m going to have to work hard because we have a lot of great defensemen, but that’s just more motivation for me. I’m going to show everything I’ve got.”

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Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek Tweeted this teaser for what is apparently an upcoming feature in which Marek speaks with Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in Mannheim, Germany:

Excited to drop this piece with Moritz Seider chatting with @JeffMarek in Mannheim 🇩🇪 @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/IwzrDkRGpD— Amil Delic (@amandelic) August 23, 2022

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted an article which discusses defenseman Olli Maatta’s comments regarding his new employer’s potential on-ice improvement this upcoming season:

When it comes to rebuilds, Olli Maatta has been there and done that. One of the newest members of the Detroit Red Wings, Maatta spent the past two seasons patroling the blueline for the Los Angeles Kings.

There, the defenseman saw the Kings go from a .438 winning percentage in 2021 to a .604 mark and a playoff position last season. Maatta doesn’t see why the Red Wings, a .451 squad last season, can’t engineer a similar increase in production this season.

“I think it’s an exciting time, especially when you look at the team,” Maatta explained. “They’re young, but when you see the players they had before . . . and now adding a bunch of big pieces, I think it’s a great place and it’s an exciting time.”

The Kings, Stanley Cup champions in 2011-12 and 2013-14, retooled through the draft and an influx of young homegrown talent. The Red Wings are following a similar pattern. Key parts of the core that are homegrown include captain Dylan Larkin, forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond and Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Moritz Seider.

“When you look at how they built the team, and I know Steve Yzerman knows how to build a team, he’s done it before, when you look at the young guys they drafted, they’re already top players in the league,” Maatta said. “You look at Seider, Larks, Bertuzzi.”

Duff continues…

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a profile of Red Wings prospect Cross Hanas this morning, discussing the turning-pro forward’s attributes and mindset as he prepares to make the Grand Rapids Griffins’ roster this fall:

“I’m going to work toward playing in the AHL,” Hanas said. “If they end up not wanting me there then I’ll get sent back to Portland for my 20-year-old year. I’m determined to play in the AHL next year for Grand Rapids. I’m ready for that next step coming into pro hockey.”

That will be determined at Red Wings training camp next month.

Hanas (6-1, 171), a right wing selected 55th overall (second round) in 2020, had 26 goals and 86 points in 63 games for Portland in the WHL. He had just five goals and 20 points in 33 games between Lincoln (USHL) and Portland in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

“Being 19 in the WHL is a big step,” Hanas said. “They rely on you a lot, so I got to be first power play, got to be on the PK. They trusted me defensively because I’ve been working on that. Playing PK this year was one of the first times I was doing that, so I think I grew a lot there. Being out there and playing with confidence, knowing you’re going to get ice time and knowing I can do stuff out there to produce for our team and win.”

Continued